The invention generally relates to an image sensor interface.
A typical digital imaging system, such as a digital camera, includes an image sensor to electrically capture an optical image. To accomplish this, the imager typically includes an array of photon sensing pixel cells. During an integration time, or interval, each pixel cell typically measures the intensity of a portion, or pixel, of a representation of the optical image that is focused (by optics of the camera) on to the array of pixel cells. The result of this electrical capture is a frame of image data that indicates the optical image.
A typical digital imaging system includes circuitry to receive the image data from the image sensor and process this data. For example, one such digital imaging system is a camera that may include circuitry to receive the image data from the image sensor and compress the image data before communicating the compressed image data to, for example, a computer that recreates captured video on a display of a computer. A digital imaging system may also be located inside a portable computing or communication device, such as a cellular telephone (for example) for purposes of capturing video images (via an image sensor) so that these images may be communicated by the device to a network (a cellular network, for example).
The components of a digital imaging system typically are designed for a specific image sensor, i.e., a certain part number from a specific manufacturer. Thus, the digital imaging system typically is designed and developed to be specific to and efficient for a particular image sensor. However, such an approach typically is inflexible for purposes of substituting other image sensors, as the processing capabilities, communication protocols, etc. typically vary among other image sensors having different part numbers and/or manufacturers.
Thus, there is a continuing need for better ways to accommodate a wide variety of image sensors in a particular digital imaging system.